The present invention relates to the automatic transport of semiconductor wafers.
In the field of processing semiconductor wafers it is desirable to minimize manual contact with the wafers in order to avoid contamination of the wafers, the expense associated with use of skilled personnel and the possibility of human error. Also, in the field of processing semiconductor wafers there are many systems which involve the need for removing the wafers from a storage cassette and relocating them such that each wafer can be processed individually.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved type of automatic system for transporting generally circular, relatively thin semiconductor wafers from a storage cassette to a remote support where individual wafers are held in a manner such that at least one side of the wafer is exposed for subsequent processing on such support.
Another object of the present invention is to provide automatic transport of generally circular, relatively thin semiconductor wafers wherein such wafers are maintained in substantially vertical orientation throughout the transport sequence.